let’s take a break from livejournal bs for one day to discuss some music. namely, nina nastasia. the talented songstress is playing what i believe is only her second new york area show this weekend in the past three and a half years, and i am making the pilgrimage to tonic to witness the spectacle.
my introduction to nina’s music came in october of 2002 when i purchased tickets to see shellac on consecutive nights at the knitting factory. the first night’s opening act was consonant (with drummer matt kadane), and the second night was nina nastasia. at first i wasn’t quite sure what to expect, the stage was adorned with a handful of stringed-instruments, guitars, and an upright bass. her band that evening consisted of maybe seven or eight members? violin, viola, cello, bass, drums, nina and another guitarist. the compositions were all downcast and slow-as molasses (many waltzes), with nina’s perfect-pitch vocals soaring above the din. i was transfixed.
often when i try to describe the goal of my own music, the two most common reference points i try to make have been “if nina nastasia had a worse voice,” or “bedhead but heavier.” her lyrics are minimalist, touching on topics like stalkers, family spats, childhood innocence…each embodying the kind of homespun americana you’d expect to glean off a total stranger spinning yarns void of self-indulgence. she is not coquettish. there is no savvy, no ego. her portrayal of life is honest and accurate. these are everyday tribulations that we all encounter in varying degrees, juxtaposed to harrowing melodies and wholly unique musicianship.
being labeled as a singer/songwriter immediately lumps a person amongst countless peers and sundry approaches. my own technique of writing songs — and the fact that the overwhelming majority of performances i’ve done were solo — defines me as a member of this milieu. despite my inherent desire to break from this mold, it doesn’t appear to be likely in the near future. so for now i will continue to write for myself and hone my skills (or lack there of), one day dreaming of effecting someone similar to how nina does.
